1. Technical Field
The present invention is generally directed to an improved data processing system and method. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and method for providing on-demand dynamic control of security policies/rules by a client computing device.
2. Description of Related Art
With the ever increasing use of computing networks as a way of passing information and performing work, concern about the security of this information and work has also increased. In order to protect computer systems from being accessed outside of an organization by unauthorized individuals, organizations and businesses have implemented firewalls, secured routers, and other security mechanisms to protect their internal computer systems from external access. These firewalls, secured routers, and the like, make use of filters, security rules, security policies, and the like, to govern the way in which they determine which data flows are permitted to pass between internal computing devices, i.e. those protected by the firewall, secured router, etc., and external computing devices.
The firewalls, secured routers, etc., act as filters in a network by preventing certain types of data or data flows from entering or leaving a protected computer system. Typically, a network administration entity, such as a human network administrator, determines, administers and initiates the setting of the security rules and policies which govern the filtering performed by the firewall, secured router, etc. Thus, only a small group of individuals are given the required level of access and permissions to permit them access to the firewall, secured router, etc. Therefore, if an end user, e.g., a user of a client device protected by the firewall at a server to which the client device is coupled, wishes to change the way in which a firewall, secured router, etc. operates, they must obtain the assistance of an administrator to implement the change. This may involve a long process of obtaining authorization for the change, scheduling down time to actually perform the change, and then implementing the change in the operation of the firewall, secured router, etc. There currently is no ability for an end user to change the way in which a firewall, secured router, etc., that governs the data flows from a plurality of protected computer systems, operates.